How to be 'heteroflexible'
Dan Rook
Issue date: 11/8/06 Section: News
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A five-person panel was asked a series of questions regarding the acceptance and portrayal of homosexuals, with a particular emphasis on "heteroflexable" individuals.
According to Ashley Minner, president of The Alliance of Empowerment, "Heteroflexables are classified as heterosexuals who don't mind a relationship with a person of the same sex, but keep it on the 'down low,'" which means they keep their lifestyle a secret.
Much of the discussion revolved around double standards of homosexual acceptance, particularly in the church, and why black men are usually less prone to embrace and admit homosexuality tendencies.
"There is something called 'hermaneudos' - when pastors, reverends and priests are constantly arguing about interpretations," said S'thembile West, associate professor of women's studies, when discussing religious views.
"These interpretations are not pure because they are passed down through the priests interpretations," West added. "I argue with priests all the time. I tell them they are talking from their own personal experience and that they are not god right now."
West emphasized that she did not have blasphemous intentions, but stated that holy books were written by human beings who were allegedly being inspired by the creator.
"How can I argue with something that someone feels is their faith practice?" West said. "I can't argue what someone believes based on faith. I just say that 'it's okay for you, now you don't need to throw mud-pies at my religion.'"
The religious/homosexual debate spilled over into race issues based on the topic of discrimination. The panel touched on the fact that among all the races, black men are least likely to be associated with homosexuality or considered homosexual.
A member of the audience attributed this tendency to the "lack of a black homosexual role model for the black community in the media," as well as the fact that black men are often portrayed as powerful protective men rather than feministic homosexuals.
"There is much more of a conservative attitude across the board in African American households when it comes to the topic of sexuality, and homosexuality in particular," West said.
When asked if this can be attributed to the fact that black society has had such a struggle for equality in the first place, and therefore will be less accepting of homosexuality because of the discrimination that comes along with it, the panel and the audience had several opinions.
One audience member spoke of how the media never shows two blacks lobbying for gay marriage on television but rather always shows Caucasian homosexuals.
"There isn't a real human representation of people of color in our social structure in the first place, so what can you expect of those people of color who are also marginalized by homosexuality," West said.
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